George+versus+The+Dragon

[|George vs. The Dragon]

Overview Article: George Karl, the coach of the Denver Nuggets, was diagnosed with throat and neck cancer last year. He underwent six weeks of chemotherapy from these cancers and never got discouraged during this process. Karl's face is covered with a mesh net covered in red crosses and molds itself to Karl's face. The technicians clamp down him to prevent him to move. It looks like a scene out of a medieval torture reenactment. Karl's body is completely shut down while the nurses and doctors work on him. As the 6 weeks of treatment torture him harder every day, Karl looks forward to ridding himself of the dragon within him. He starts losing his voice but still manages to coach his team. His raspy voice is heard less and less every day, but he is still there coaching his team for a potential playoff spot in the Western Conference. He is then put on a morphine patch and soon feels much better. He says that he would travel to Minnesota and coach the Nuggets because he feels so great, but the treatment time line is set in stone.

Significant Quote: "Denver Nuggets coach George Karl pops in his mouthpiece and puts on his helmet and braces himself for a brutal 15 minutes, but this isn't football. This is cancer radiation" (Reilly).

Analysis: This quote shows what Coach Karl has endured during the past year of his life. He has gone through multiple surgeries during this time and he has always looked on the bright side of things. He realizes that the cancer radiation will take a lot of his strength away, but he is very optimistic about it. Karl is prepared to battle the cancers just like he prepares his team to beat the opposing team on the court. He treated the surgery just like a crucial game in his NBA season and was well prepared like he always is when the game is on the line. Coach Karl has been through pressure situations before in life, but this time it is life or death and he knows that he will survive this battle with cancer.

Group Reaction: The article gave us a different outlook on cancer patients. Prior to reading this article, we did not know as much incite about coach Karl's cancer situation. We did not know how difficult fighting one type of cancer let alone two types of cancers. We believe that Coach Karl is an inspiration to all. He remained very positive during the surgeries and chemotherapy; he always looked at the glass half full and not half empty. Having cancer is a very scary disease to deal with and Karl did a tremendous job with it. He missed only his second game in six seasons as the Denver Nuggets coach, which is extraordinary for a coach to achieve. We learned that having a positive outlook on life will lead to positive things for you. If Karl was not as positive as he was, then things might have gone differently for him and might not be currently coaching the Nuggets to another deep playoff run. He is an example that everyone should follow because he looks on the bright side of life.